Yawn, Oliver why do we type so late? You'd be insulted if I answered that. Oliver, where did I put the password the new story I'm writing? I don't know. Oliver what-? If you asked me one of damned thing, I'm going to shove a pole down your throat, bind you, douse your clothes with gas, light them, and threw you off the Empire State Building. Oliver, how do you plan to get there so quickly, when we live days away, via car trip? *Growls*

Open road, fast food, and stops for bathroom were the only things so far in Harley's trip; sleeping was not a necessity; his healing factor staved off most of the fatigue. He had long ago bought a GPS and was discouraged to find his trip would take four days as the crow flies. He imagined if Logan was in charge of route planning it would take weeks for them to arrive.

However it was just Harley and Oliver, who was a very good planner.

Don't get gas at every station, he chided earlier on. So Harley purchased a gas can and it was hanging from the side of the motorcycle, with a chain through the handle and a recently cut hole in the seat with a lock so it wouldn't be stolen.

Oliver wanted to stay in America as long as possible; Harley knew he would feel uneasy going in to Canada, as it was not home territory. His father might have been Canadian, but Harley was American from the tips of his toes to somewhere in his neck. He had no problem with having the cold mountains in his blood, but he preferred the various land types in America, especially the beach.

Mmm, the warm, sandy, wet beach, Oliver commented. Harley smiled his mind drifting to memories.

He was almost there, and could possible make it tonight, but he decided to pull in somewhere and stop.

He found a quaint motel and bought a room. He had no problems with the woman at the counter, merely using his telepathy to hide his features and made himself appear as Logan to her.

Half an hour later found Harley knocked out on the bed, curled up, covered with blankets.

"Nikki!" he cried incredulously looking at the monitor. One of his best friends was in New York and had telepathy. James immediately summed up the whole scenario: "I smell bullshit."

"Ditto," Harley nodded. "C'mon."

"Where are we going?"

No response. Harley just headed out of the room and into their shared room at X-force HQ.

"Are we going to see Nikki?"

"No, dumbass," Harley called. "We going to take you to the luney bin to get your head checked."

James sighed and put his shoes on. "You're the crazy one here."

"No, I'm the one who's actually mature."

"We've got to get your head checked."

Harley woke with a start. It made him sad to see Nikki in such a negative state, but that didn't matter now. What currently mattered was the fact that it was two 'o' clock and he had fifty miles to go. Not much time for Harley to finalize his plans for the week, but the general details were done. Stephan King once wrote, "It's a long walk to Eden, so don't sweat the small stuff."

What a shame that that was exactly what Harley did, like, fourth best. Below sleeping, fighting, and eating.

Speaking of food, Oliver suggested. Can you stop for some waffles?

It wasn't a bad idea.

(X)

Two hours and half a dozen waffles from IHOP later, Harley had finally arrived at his destination.

It was down a long dirt road an hour away from any towns or people in general. Woods surrounded the property, which Harley had no clue as the how many acres that might be.

The sight Harley enjoyed the most was the large cabin. It was your stereotypical two story cabin. Very quaint, Harley thought.

Next to it was your average red barn. From the noises coming from it, Harley would've guessed chickens, cows, and pigs. Oddly, there was a bulky motorcycle, parked under a lean-to that had been constructed against the barn, out of wood supports and a tin roof.

Suddenly, a growl came from the porch of the cabin.

Sabretooth, Oliver identified calmly.

Got it, Harley answered just as well.

Sabretooth let out a roar and pounced towards Harley, who dodged it calmly. Sabretooth barely went three feet before turning around and jumping at Harley, who hadn't even unsheathed his claws. His adversary slashed, but all he caught was air. Harley had rolled quite a distance and immediately began sling knives, most hitting. Sabretooth roared again and charged Harley, who finally unsheathed his claws. Harley took Sabretooth's shoulder to the stomach, but instead of reacting in pain, he maneuvered so he was on Victor's back and began stabbing repeatedly. Sabretooth hollered and dropped back, trying to crush Harley, who didn't see the trick in time.

The two wrestled dealing serious damage to each other, before they got separated. Harley's face was downcast and his opponent couldn't see his eyes.

"Time to face the consequences," Victor growled approaching. As he stood in front of his new, but temporary play toy he caught a whiff of some odd rage. Growling his swiped, but his hand was blocked, by Fox's.

Fox looked up and glared through blue eyes. With a shout, he pulled Victor closer and began massacring his midsection with precise blows to pierce Vic's heart. Sabretooth pushed the kid back, unsure of what had happen. Fox ran at Sabretooth and began to swipe accurately and Victor began concentrating on blocking the deadly blows.

He had knew the kid was good, but this was something else.

He had to end this before he got killed.

Sabretooth grabbed the kid who wiggled out of his grasp. He watched in fascination as the boy flipped backwards, giving him another glare. There was no emotion on his face or those blue eyes. Victor charged; only to be dodged. But he saw the move coming a stuck out an arm to snag the kid and put him beneath him. Harley struggled useless; Victor had his arms caught in one giant hand and was using his body weight to subdue the small mutant.

"Enough," he barked.

The kid stopped and closed his eyes. When he opened them again they were brown.

"Ya done?" Victor snarled.

"Perhaps," Harley said plainly. He blinked. "Are you going to get off?"

"Perhaps," Victor mocked.

"Move, you oaf," with surprising strength, Victor was pushed off.

"Yer daddy just let you come?" Victor was not going to stop teasing the kid in any way. He enjoyed the fight and was itching for more, but there was something else he wanted of the brat.

"Burn in hell," Harley insulted. "No, Logan didn't let me come he doesn't even know I'm here."

"Why are you here?" Victor asked.

"You had an offer," Harley shrugged as he began scouring the ground for his knives. "You have something I want to know."

"Family," Sabretooth stated.

"Yes," Harley found a knife and wiped it on his tattered sleeve, before sticking in his sock. "Family."

"Ya don't hafa lot," Victor grunted. "Come inside."

"Uno momento, porvor," Harley rattled still hunting for knives.

Sabretooth grunted and watched. The brat was sure of his movements. Victor was surprised, that the kid fought well, despite his small size.

"How old are ya?" Victor asked already knowing the answer.

"Old enough to drive," Harley snapped. "Try to figure that out without frying your brain."

Victor smirked. "Sixteen. Got a girl?"

Harley's eyes filled with rage. "Yeah, I do. And she had a bone to pick with you, so next time we fight, I ain't gonna hold my berserker back."

The brat's duality gets another chuckle from Creed. He's still riled up, but he trying' to contain it, he thinks. He'll be fun to fuck with.

But there's a small part of Victor, telling him 'no', that he was more important matters with the the brat.

"Ya were only going half-hearted on me?" Creed pouted. "Shame, I was just startin' to have fun. Maybe next time we'll draw out our little dual."

"Sounds like a jolly old time," Harley smiled, bu Victor could smell that it was fake. He had picked up all his knives and was ready to continue with this animal of a man.

Victor smirked inwardly. "Hurry yer ass up, I'm hungry."

"Don't wait on me," Harley said. "I might just watch you starve to death."

I don't think he means any of the things he says, Victor thought.

Harley followed Victor inside and Victor could tell he was taking in his surroundings.

Simple furniture, a brick fireplace, a bear skin rug on a wood floor and stairs in the corner leading to more rooms. The kitchen was tiled and clean. Harley was surprised to see a fridge and oven.

"Deer?" Victor asked opening the freezer side of the fridge.

"Yes," Harley smiled. Mmm, venison, Oliver agreed.

(X)

Dinner had been a stunning contrast to the ones Harley was used to. There were no words exchange and even afterwards nothing was said, so Harley took to the couch and slept there.

He thought he would be uneasy with sleeping in a new place, but he wasn't. Instead he drifted to a dreamless sleep easily. The place was... familiar somehow. It was unerring to Harley, who found he couldn't breach Victor's mind.

Harley tried not to pay it much heed, but his mind wandered. But fatigue and sleep fought off those thoughts.

When he woke up the next morning, he had to pat himself on the back for not freaking out when he saw Sabretooth standing over him, eyes seeming to study Fox, as if they were hunter and prey. Harley just hoped Victor didn't think the same.

"Da hell are ya doin'?" Harley slurred covering his eyes.

"Was decidin' on how ta wake ya up," Victor shrugged, moving the boy's feet, so he could sit on the couch. "But you did that on ya own."

"Humph," was Harley's only response. He hated the familiarity of the house that haunted him. Hated more so, the atmosphere between him and Victor.

His uncle.

He ran those words through his head, even filtering them through Oliver and the other inhabitants of his mind. Lillian and Logan would like to see Sabretooth dead. Nikki wasn't partial to murder in any way. James would have thought that if the bastard had given Harley a reason to kill him, he should take it.

He shook all these thoughts off and realized Vic was talking.

"- woods and hunt, maybe show ya some old tricks," he stretched out, putting his hands behind his head and looking at his nephew. "Whadda ya say?"

Yes, Oliver said immediately after piecing together what was being offered.

No, Harley countered, thinking of a certain, blonde somebody, who wanted revenge.

"Okay," Harley nodded.

"Assumin' ya don't scare everything away," Victor teased.

"Burn in hell," Harley said in an serious manner. "Let's go."

And he was out the front door, before Sabretooth could say anything else.